Indian women sneak into men-only Hindu temple to test centuries-old ban

Two women entered the Sabarimala Hindu temple in India’s southern state of Kerala under cover of darkness on January 2, defying a centuries-old custom that bars “impure” women of childbearing age from the religious site.

Hours before their action, millions of women had formed a 620km (385-mile) human chain to protest gender discrimination.

The events were followed by violence across the state related to anger over a September 2018 decision by India’s Supreme Court overturning the ban and allowing women to access the Sabarimala temple complex.